What I find truly remarkable about this is that in 1979 course support was sporadic, Gatorade was probably the only ‘sports drink’ in town, running shoes were way less high tech (Nike had just invented the ‘air Nike’), we knew a lot less about nutrition and training and yet he he finished this race in a time that would make an athlete proud today. The all time record is not far off Rodger’s 1979 finishing time. It sort of validates the notion that if you’ve got what it takes it really isn’t about the shoes or the heart rate training or the carbo loading and coaching – it’s about the talent and the drive.

I found myself at the age of 38 the single full time working mother of 3 small children. I took up running because I figured I could get the biggest benefit in the least amount of time. Swearing never to run a marathon I found myself going out for a 4 - 6 mile run several times a week.
I ran my first marathon 6 years later. Five years after that I ran another and then the next year another. Then I got bit by the triathlon bug so now I split my time between running, swimming and cycling. This year I think I'll run another marathon. And next year - who knows?